Mawlid

The goodness in the practice of mawlid-an-nabi (s.a.w) is agreed upon by all sunni and sufi shuyukh throughout the world. In recent years this beautiful practice has come under criticism from salafi, ahle hadith wahabies. But do we care..??

It is what the scholars of ahlus sunnah have to say on the issue that concerns us. Let’s quickly browse through and see what the contemporary scholars of ahlus sunnah have to say on the topic (we do not take fatwas passed on a practice 100 years ago in relation to that era and area and the way in which it was practiced back then and apply it to situations of a totally different environment many many years later).

We deal with current situations with recent verdicts unless it is something that will never change (ie. where we hold our hands in salah, if you are hanafi then you will hold your hands below the navel and that will not change in 50 years time nor will it change in 500 years time), so that is why it is best to analyze the opinions and views of current day scholars of ahlus sunnah who are interactive with modern society.

It is absolutely clear that the mawlid is a praiseworthy practice, and there remains no shadow of doubt concerning its permissibility.

The only group of muslims within sunni islam that object to the practice of mawlid are the deobandies. Their reasons for the prohibition and their fatwa refuted by shaykh gibril haddad can be seen here.

It is quite clear from shaykh gibril’s work that the deobandi position is flawed. The reasons they have put forward clearly do not exist in this day and age and certainly non-existent in the west (ie. UK, USA).

It is against deobandi fiqh to pactice mawlid or have any connection with the practice, as one brother said here “Deobandi DONOT celebrate mawlid in the sense it is celebrated in our contemporary World”. Implying, basically what is in the fatwa originally found in Al-Muhannad and reiterated again and again in each era by the deobandi mufti of the time, even though what accusations they make do not exist yet they still use the same reasons to keep sunnies divided.

When one of the most renowned deobandi mufti’s living was asked whether the restrictions on mawlid, urs etc can be lifted because the reasons behind them originally being restricted no longer exist, the reply was “Each case, event and scenario has to be examined in detail individually……..” meaning it would depend on the individual circumstances. And another top class deobandi mufti says; “in majority of the cases these issues are the same worlwide.”here, basically refusing to give a proper answer, refusing to accept the practice of the majority of sunni’s round the globe, and giving the impression that it should be totally boycotted without consideration (another wahabi ideology).

And according to brother Salman of the contemplating chishti blog he states here, that Mufti Mahmud Ashraf Usmani stated that, our respect for the deobandi akabirin is unconditional but when it comes to fatwa, we follow what has been transmitted by the madhaab (the hanafi madhaab i expect) from generation to generation and not merely what was stated by the akabirin.

In the UK, i have never heard a deobandi molvi actually say that it was ok to attend the mawlid gatherings as it is clear that the evils do not exist here. Nor do any hold mawlid gatherings the way it should be done according to deobandi ulema.

Another one of their excuse is that they do not see the neccessity for it and that they can do a lot of other good in the time spent on these gatherings, and that they are just being cautious. Fine, i don’t think that any one expects them or says that they have to participate in or hold mawlid gatherings.

Give a fatwa according to current situations about its permissibility and put an end to this division. A fatwa from mufti taqi usmani concerning the moon sighting debate mentions something which puts deobandies into contradiction.

It says here that, to choose the more cautious option moving away from the majority and becoming a source of conflict is inappropriate.

A further critical study of the deobandi controversy towards mawlid can be viewed here.

To sum this up, i would like to remind sunnies that it is my position that we should not fall out with each other simply because one party practices mawlid and the other party doesn’t. This is nothing to fall out over. However, tension does get heated when those who don’t do mawlid are cursing those that do, and those that do practice it curse all those that do not.

Even worse is when false and inauthentic proofs are put forward to justify ones opinion. So one party are seriously trying to justify their case (that their decisions are in accordance to ahlus sunnah) while the other is determined to prove the opposite at whatever the cost, causing continual quarrelling, discord and disturbance. This is not ikhtilaf, it is mutakallaf. This must stop. Inshallah.